Switch actuator



P 1952 s. G. RANSOME 2,612,368

SWITCH ACTUATOR Filed Feb. 11 8, 1946 4 3B 2 g3! 2.9 2.8 2-1 A INVENTOR.

ATTYS.

I would. bflller'wise' cause 'pai t'pf the fo'lfee r a .t djbe j et t a and ,the lu ger t direct e om manned o'th ...p upjg sub f al t n a 'elnto" h" X therejo' andjto elimlnate the side thrust which I an in-terme diate membepm'us e to be 115 by, hie

"Objects of this 'inventioii include the prby i siorjl a m x ve PWWQ HEP? i simp e). ine em' yeCja Z m afitep e i of i ary ele ric re sio .w t hi the pe q1s Q 1 n e a b "me dn dlMwall' et nt-f I A; f rre (Hi 0 1mmwil y iii ifr ;a in eP ate; Q a eaf tini ma rialm re i ehtfi w'or; 1; f mala a an wi v a m int n 'i' r-' Zion QrBWd' 0i' bolt'egl't'q one' sid ef oft he s witoh, gnaw flexible portion adaptedt be pre'seeg agains A he operatingf-plfipge by! he 'c'a iii bpi t n a -j O he Qh'ec? a dy n siw libea erent l Referfing now more pafticularlytdthe drawings,zthe*actuator 2| and=the switch 22; are fastened 'tos a supportingltplat'e '23 'by- *c'ommon mounting- :screws' worm bolts 1 245- :which I aextendi through mountingholes-ili, -in the switchrgand throughgthe mougxting holes 21 ;in the-actuator and adedl e ed.withlthe-supportin e. embofdi-f ro o'able operat manger-51 is"urged to the hiltmayfl'i i' ead i lyi 'foriried"iroml a 15in Q sheei? springmaterialisuh as brass or eye fiom' any'forniableg resilient fib'erniateii'ali erable to have-at least' two of bhesefmounti ng holes, or e'quivalent means'; m 'meverli;"she acm ator. from i'ot'ating when o'pera dw rhe mount; ingportion' 28 may orimay"not' be slottei shown at 32, either toreduce Weight; of 61m: prove'its appearance. I Ini the embodiment showfi';

although obviously not always necessari'lyso, the

flexible or actuating portion 38 M114 have been molded, bentfior "o bherwise forr'ried at 'substai'i tiallirighfiflangles to a plane containingptl'ie mounting' -portiomw so that its freely movable end ;p0rtion:i.33wi1l be: resiliently movable a path ..substantially parallel. to a the. reci'prooa'ble axis. of; the plgngerqi I .Y lIfhea flexibleend portion 3 33 may, if desired for a particular installation, be provided with the integra1 upstanding ears 34 engaging the freely rotatable roller 36. Such a roller will be provided where it is desired to reduce the friction between the actuator and the operatinggmember (herein shownas an eccentrie cally mountedlcanipgenerally. designated 39). In other adaptations, where a certain amount of friction is permissible and it i desired to make; 33 the actuator as inexpensively as possible th roller may be omitted in which case the actuawill take the form shown ingFig l -13hr; 3901171011; or the member 38 integrally connected-to; th

mounting or side portion and the "mountingzportion 28 together in effect define a mounting bracket for the free end portion 3 3, 1 I t In describing the operationof the actuator switch combination illustrated, assume'thatthe" particulargfpljm ofr operating means is-, not; an "j S$Q r?P vent e h rein e l9 and-may gtake' any desired-iormr -I- Rig. z the ar rare own i t e r sedae e erma esitiq sww ieh -ih as wh m the i erating earn is rotated,1 80 with respect to its position in Figure 1. When the cam-. 39 is further rotatedanother- ;1;8Q1:to resume its Eigurel-i position, the actuator cantilever portion 3 8 will iOl lOW; it upward to its F'igure,;,-lposition under the. influence of bending stresses stored up & and;v since the switch is; of-. the selfreturnmg'type, in which the: plunger 5 is constantly urged to its Figure 1 position, the, plunger wi-li follow the actuator-mantilever portion 38 when thelatterimoves upward; 5

ilg' hile;.Jl; have thusdescribed two specific embodiments of my invention, I am aware that numerous. alteration and changes maybe ,made therein without materially departing from the itn the n emmn an eeof t w-f Dendedclaimsa; Iclaim: 5 -.-1-;..;Eor use with-a plunger operated switch, hav ing a top surface through which the plunger.

projects .-and.-a side surface=having diagonally spaced mouuting'holes formed thereon, an actu ator comprisingoan elongated resilient member adaptedto restin spaced relation with'the top surface-of theswitch when disposed operative position with respect to. the switch, said member I havinga free end shaped to engage the plunger and an opposite 1 end spaced from the free end when disposed in said position,- and a; mounting portionintegrally interconnected at-a side edge thereon, said actuator comprising a single piece of resilient material having a mounting portion adapted to be in side by sid relation with said side surface of the switch and being formed with holes positioned to be in register with said mount- --:h .,-:1 n e edw t e, we inclined at iaanaiigle new iig'tportion and extending thereabove to overlie the top suriace of the switch, said actuating portion having a rnounting end integrally connected at a.

side edge with said mounting portion to be supported therebycandghaving a free end adapted toe esws 'drilgmgr to depress the latter upon applicationsoflforce' to said actuating portion.

"1:3: 1M1 alctuatonroomprising a mounting portion lhavingspaced mounting apertures thereon, and an'elongated actuating portion inclined at an spaced relationirom the free manager;

of :the resilient-memberwith the mounting portion dependingfromthe resilient member inclined; at ane -angle .withrespect thereto, said mounting portion being -shapedto overlie said side surface: of'said switch and being formed with holes positioned to be in register with said diagonally positioned mounting holes when'said elongated member isvin the aforesaid position. 2. fin-actuator for use witha plunger operated switch of-thetyp'e having a top surface through which the plunger; projects and' a 'si'de' surface havinmdiagon'allyspaced mounting holes formedsil'i ent resilient member to extend, downward y ther 5,; An actuator: compris g'anlelongat ble resilient member having. oneend free ;to move;

and? a mounting lportion'. ror li'the felo'ngateliiireinber, interconnected therewith; in

spac k b tm t b de endin 9m.-. .i c en ega from and in .a'l

silient -membe;,f interconnected .'therewith in m ounting'lportion.dependingfrrom th lelong resilient (member at a side edge Lthereof. to ,ex v tendl downwardlyl therefrom {and in; a, direction towardthelfreeendthereofl,gLI

7. An actuator comprising an,.,. .'elongated S ra ght, fiexh eres snt me be h n Qne fr'eg t move, and a ,niounting, ortion, for, .the.

elongated resilient inember' interconnected the gther endthereof ata side ,edgethereofl fsaid mounting po'rtion .being formed, of. flat material extending in .arplane. perpendicular :to the plane of the elongated resilient memberanddepend therefrom diagonally in; a Ldirectionltoward the free endthereof. I v ..,8,. e n,actuatqriormed from .a single sheet of materiah comprising. an elongated. straight flexible resili'ent member havingione. end; fr'ee tomoye; naw m unt n roma riihezeimn aed next ble .meml' ie' integral with the other end, ,thereoi, said mounting portion extending in a plan per-j pend-icular to the plane of; .the elongated ifienlible member and depending froma-side edge thereof; to -.extend therebelow and -.terminate; i-na portion disposed'ftoward --the':ir.ee end of the elongated V fiexiblermemben in spacbdqelation; thereiromw exam-actuator formed from a singlevsheetmf ri D B'i g anelongated:straight fl'exi f lea-resilient leaf spring nieniber -n'aving o'neenii formed of flat material extending in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the leaf spring member and depending from a side edge thereof to extend diagonally therebelow and termi nate in a portion disposed toward the free end thereof, said depending mounting portion being formed with a pair of spaced mounting holes disposed respectively below the free and mounted ends of the leaf spring member. I

10. An actuator for a plunger operated switch having a first surface through which the plunger projects and a second surface at an angle with respect to the first surface and spaced laterally of, said plunger, said actuator comprising a bracket shaped to be attached to said switch and having a first portion shaped to be rigidly attached to the second surface, said actuator also including a second portion rigidly attached to the first portion and inclined at an angle with respect to the first portion and. shaped to overlie 20 said first surface on the switch, said second portion including a resilient cantilevered portion shaped to overlie said first surface on the switch 6 and. extending beyond the attachment or said second portion to said first portion and having its free end remote from said attachment shaped to be engageable with said plunger, and a roller mounted on said free end of the resilient portion on the side thereof away from the plunger for transmitting force from an external source to the resilient portion to actuate the plunger.

STAFFORD G. RANSOME.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the I file of this patent:

Doughty Aug. 15, 1944 

